Iwatobi Origins
by KittyKax
Summary: Before they swam into our hearts, who were Rin, Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei? These are are stories from before they won the relay at Regionals, before they formed the swim club, and before they won the relay in elementary school. This is how our boys became who they are today.


It all started in the beginning of his 2nd year as a high school student.

Toraichi Matsuoka was competing in a small local swimming tournament, nothing major, but just to get some competition experience in. He had just won his 100m butterfly race when he saw her, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, sitting in the stands clapping harder for him than anyone else in the stands. It was hard not to spot her, as she had long, scarlet red hair that cascaded down her back, causing her to stand out from the entire crowd. It sounds cheesy, but something inside Toraichi knew at that moment he not only had to meet the beautiful redhead, but he had to spend the rest of his life with her.

As it turned out, the girl was a first year student at the same high school Toraichi attended. Her name was Akane, delightfully fitting considering her hair color, and they hit it off right away. While Akane wasn't much of a swimmer herself, she was an avid fan of the sport, and loved going to tournaments as a spectator (although she never told Toraichi that she was more of an avid fan of swimmer's muscles…). Suffice to say, it was a match made it heaven.

From that day on the young couple were inseparable. Toraichi placed first in almost all of his tournaments, even making it to Nationals, and Akane was at every single one, cheering him on from her usual place in the front row of the grandstands. It might have just been his imagination, but Toraichi thought he swam better with Akane there. Having his girlfriend yelling his name, jumping in her seat, and hugging him tightly after every race made him feel more like he had a real purpose for swimming. By the end of the summer, Toraichi had already gotten scouted from universities all over Japan, with the best ones being the farthest from Iwatobi. This did lead to their first serious conversation considering Toraichi would be graduating a year before Akane, but they agrees that Toraichi would go off to train and Akane would join him a year later. Then a few years after that would be the Olympics, where Toraichi would fulfill his dream as an Olympic swimmer. He and everyone around him was sure he would make the team, and Akane, like always, promised she would be there in the front row, cheering him on to a gold medal.

But then, at the start of the summer of Toraichi's 3rd year, everything changed.

"You're pregnant…?"

They were sitting on the rooftop of Iwatobi high, where Akane told Toraichi to meet her after classes ended. By the seriousness in her tone, Toraichi worried something was wrong, like she was sick, or she had to move away, or worst of all, that she was going to break up with him. But the young swimmer was not expecting this.

"Are you sure?" Toraichi was staring at Akane who at the moment refused to look him in the eye, but she did nod.

"I thought I just had the flu…" Akane said in a small voice, "…but then I noticed my cycle was late…so I took a test and…" she hugged her knees closer to her chest, "…it's true."

Toraichi could only look straight ahead as he tried to process it all, his hands made tight fists, and his face scrunched up in anger, "Damn it…I thought we were being careful…what are we going to do…?"

"Y-you don't have to worry about a thing" Akane spoke up just then, "I'm going to have it…taken care of."

Toraichi turned his head again towards the girl, "What do you mean…_taken care of?_"

"My parents…they found a doctor in the city who could perform the procedure…" she still wouldn't look at him, "I read that it's relatively safe…and I'll only have to miss a couple of days of school…so people shouldn't become suspicious."

"Is that what you want?"

"It's…for the best." Akane's arms gripped tighter around her legs, "We're only in high school…my parents are furious enough…and with you going off to university next year…this is…the only option."

"W-well when are you going? I know your parents probably wouldn't want me to but I could come-"

"Toraichi-kun…" Akane stood up just then, "I…I can't see you anymore."

And just like that, Toraichi felt his entire world come crashing down.

"W-what!? What do you mean you—?"

"I just can't! Seeing you, I-it would be too hard!" And just like that, before Toraichi could even get a word in, the love of his life was running away from him, and he swore, he saw tears streaming down her face.

* * *

><p>Toraichi was still thinking about it later at practice. Akane was right, neither one of them were ready to be parents. He knew someday he would want children, but Toraichi assumed he would have a few Olympic medals before that happened. At the very least be <em>married. <em>He could only imagine the humiliation and judgement they would get for not only having a child out of wedlock but being teen parents on top of that. Plus with him going away next year, it would be unfair to leave Akane by herself to raise the baby and face it all alone. And at the same time still having to finish school. They didn't have jobs, no experience with children, no financial security, and didn't even have their own place to live. Not having the baby made perfect sense.

But for some reason, something about it just didn't't feel right.

"Hey, Matsuoka!" Toraichi was taken out of his trance when he heard his coach's voice call out his name. He looked up as the tall, burly swim coach approached him looking slightly frustrated, "I know you've already been scouted but that doesn't mean you get to slack off."

"R-right, sorry…"

The coach then began to show more concern, "Is everything all right, son?"

"I-I'm fine! Just a little distracted right now…" He knew this wasn't the time for him to let his head wander, especially with prefectuals coming up soon. However, the situation was just not leaving his mind. Even after practice ended it was all he thought about as he walked home, and continued during dinner, his bath, and long after he was supposed to be asleep.

Something definitely didn't't feel right.

It was past 2 o clock in the morning and Toraichi was laying in bed now, staring at the ceiling. _"__It's for the best!" "I can't see you anymore!"_ Toraichi could not accept this. Akane was more than just a high school girlfriend, he was not going to let this go.

Toraichi hopped out of bed, put on his running shoes, and began running towards the house he had been to many times before. He passed by the school, his swim club, the docks where fisherman were finally coming in from a long day out at sea, then finally, he was standing outside Akane's house. Carefully, Toraichi picked up a small pebble and tossed it to the second floor window. When he didn't get a response the first time, he picked up another and threw it again, a little harder this time. He waited for another minute, and finally the window opened and the person he was hoping to see appeared ,

"Toraichi-kun! What are you doing here!? You're going to wake my parents!" Akane whispered as loudly as she could.

"I don't care! I need to talk to you right now!"

"…I told you I can't se-"

"Just hear me out!" Toraichi pleaded, "Listen to what I have to say and if you don't like it I promise I'll never bother you again!"

Akane could sense the pain in his voice, she sighed, "I'll be right down."

Toraichi waited on Akane's front porch, where they had spent many days just lounging on the deck, talking about swimming, school, the Olympics, and their future.

"I'm listening, Toraichi." Akane appeared suddenly, still in her pajamas and had a blanket draped around her shoulders. Toraichi stepped forward slowly,

"Well...you weren't being very fair back at school." Akane raised an eyebrow, "What I mean is, this _is _partly my responsibility, don't I get a say in the matter?"

Akane grew even more tense, "Fine...what do you have to say?"

Toraichi coaxed himself, then stepped forward and took Akane's hands in his, to which she only resisted slightly, "I...I don't want you to go through with the procedure."

Akane tilted her head down, trying to fight back tears, "It's not up to us-"

"Screw that!" Toraichi was now exclaiming not caring who he woke up, "It's our baby! Shouldn't _we_ be the ones making that kind of decision!?"Akane was taken back by that, mainly because that was the first time either of them ever referred to it as _their baby_.

"But...my parents, they'll never let me keep it, not as long as I'm living in their house-"

"Then come live with me! I'll ask my mom, I'm sure she won't mind! And I'll drop out of school and get a job to support us, I hear they're always hiring down at the docks and-"

"But what about your swimming?"

Toriachi paused for a moment. "...I'll give it up."

Now Akane snatched her hands out of Toraichi's "No, I-I won't let you give up your dream for me!"

Toraichi had now rested his shoulders, before gently taking Akane's hands again, this time bringing them up to his mouth to kiss. "Akane...I'm not giving up my dream."

Now Akane was the one confused, "But-"

"I thought swimming in the Olympics was my dream, but the truth its...I didn't _have _a dream before I met you." Toraichi took another deep breath, "I could win a million gold medals...but they would all mean nothing if you weren't there to watch me win them. "

"Toraichi-kun..."

"The thing of it is, I was only a better swimmer because I was with you. I became a better _person _because I was with you. I always thought going to the Olympics was what I wanted, but now I realize there's something I want much more."

Toraichi breathed again.

"_You__'__re _my dream, Akane. You and..." Toraichi carefully looked down, then placed one of his hands over Akane's still flat abdomen, "...and our baby." Akane was now crying, but not like she was earlier that day, now she was smiling. "Will you stay with me, Akane?" Toraichi finally asked.

Akane was sobbing at this point, but managed to get her words out, "y-yes, yes I will, Toraichi!"

The young swimming was now completely oblivious to how late it was, because he yelled for joy and he picked up his tearful love off the ground and spun her in his arms.

No, he was no longer a swimmer, and he would never get to the Olympics. Everyone was disappointed, and many asked again and again if he ever regret giving it up. But every time he always answered the same, he had zero regrets. For he had something much more valuable than any medal could ever be, something that gave him a real purpose in life,

He had a family.

* * *

><p>I dunno, I always had the feeling Rin wasn't exactly planned, and his dad looked a little young in that one shot we saw of him as an adult(though honestly every adult in anime looks like they could pass for 21) so I think it would make sense if Rin was an "accident" and Toraichi had to give up swimming to support his family.<br>Also I made up the name of Rin and Gou's mom (Akane actually means red in Japanese) and since we saw Toraichi with dark hair, logically it would make sense if Rin and Gou got their red manes from their mom.

Also the thought of Rin almost not existing makes me sad, excuse me while I go cry OTL

Thanks for reading! 3


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